1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an interactive television system, and more particularly, to a computerized interactive television system in which viewer inputs are correlated in real time with other viewer inputs, and particularized results made available to each participating viewer.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There are a number of prior art proposals for interactive television. Some of these proposals have been implemented, such as, for example, home shopping television programs. More sophisticated proposals include a system reported in the New York Times on Aug. 17, 1994 as being developed by Econ Corporation to take advantage of the new wireless interactive television services being licensed by the FCC. Here, viewers would use on-screen menus to select program options or respond to advertisements. A control center processes and routes data between viewers homes and service providers over a satellite link. Cell sites, which are similar to relay stations used in cellular phone networks, are links between the viewers and the satellite. A wireless unit passes data to and from the cell site and viewers use a remote control device to make inputs from an on-screen menu.
These prior art proposals are limited in their interactive reach. Only in a broad sense do they integrate viewer input into the program itself. The television home shopping programs are an example. The program hosts may engage in a conversation with one of the viewers relative to the merchandise being offered and may display or report a tally of the number of units purchased. But these prior art interactive television systems to not provide for the integration into the program of all participating viewers both collectively and individually in an active role.